Slatwall systems are commonly used in retail environments to display goods on walls. These systems generally use metal rails which bear grooves and which are affixed to walls, or which define grooves adjacent to the walls whereupon the rails are affixed. The grooves allow hanging implements such as hooks, cantilevered arms, etc. to be hung on the rails. Goods may then be hung on these hanging implements, or may instead be hung directly on the slatwall if the goods have built-in hanging implements and/or if they have the proper size and configuration. Common slatwall systems tend to suffer from several deficiencies.
First, they tend to be somewhat aesthetically unattractive because they visibly stand out on walls, thereby drawing attention to the rails, etc. rather than to the goods themselves. This is disadvantageous since a prime objective of the display is to draw attention to the goods and present them in an aesthetically pleasant environment, thereby enhancing the probability of a sale. The prior slatwall systems known to the inventor are quite ugly, and have an appearance which brings to mind industrial hardware rather than an attractive means of display which a consumer would accept for use in one's own home.
Second, prior slatwall systems can be somewhat weak, making it difficult to hang larger goods (e.g., guitars) on the slatwall without risking failure and the possibility of the goods falling to the floor. This is particularly true where goods are hung on cantilevered arms inserted within the slatwall's slots, since such cantilevered arms act as levers on the slatwall and exert high stresses. The disadvantage of weakness unfortunately tends to work synergistically with the disadvantage of unattractiveness noted above: since larger and heavier goods are typically more expensive, they require a more attractive display system to enhance sales, but at the same time any slatwall used to hang such goods must be scaled up in size and therefore tends to be exceptionally ugly.
Third, prior slatwall systems are not very versatile in that they do not allow flexibility in hanging arrangements. The most commonly used slatwall known to the inventor is provided in four foot by eight foot sections, which makes it difficult to accommodate on surfaces having unusual shapes or sizes. Further, on these slatwall sheets, the hanging grooves are provided in a predetermined array which cannot be varied by users; thus, users are constrained to hang items in the slatwall in only certain predetermined patterns.